Edit song and CD information

Edit song and CD information

If you’re connected to the Internet when you insert a CD into your computer’s disc drive, iTunes automatically retrieves information about the CD and the songs on it. When you import the CD into your library, the retrieved information is imported with it.

You can also enter CD and song information into iTunes yourself, or change the information that was retrieved.

Information about each item in your library is stored in the item’s Info window. To open the Info window, select the item and then choose File > Get Info.

Change the name of the song, artist, or album

  1. Select the information you want to edit.

  2. Type the new information.

  3. Press Enter.

Edit song or CD information

  1. Select the song or CD you want to edit, and choose File > Get Info (or press Command-I).

  2. Click Info and make your changes.

Tip:  If you’re changing the same information (for example, the genre) for multiple items, you can select all the items and change the information for them at the same time.

Change information without changing the files on your hard disk

By default, changing information for an item in iTunes also changes the file’s name on your hard disk. You might not want filenames to change if, for example, the files are used by other apps on your computer.

To make changes to an item in iTunes without changing the file’s name:

  1. Choose iTunes > Preferences.

  2. Click Advanced.

  3. Deselect “Keep iTunes Media folder organized.”

If no information appears in the Info window

  • Insert a CD, click Gear icon with an arrow pointing down, and choose Get CD Track Names. Available song information is retrieved (you must be connected to the Internet).

Customize song and CD info

You can edit information in the Info window to make it easier to find and sort items in your library. For example, you can:

  • Group individual movements on a classical CD into one work by indicating the name of the work (for example, “Piano concerto in A Minor, Op. 54”) in the Grouping field.

  • Group songs that are part of a compilation together in your library by clicking the Info button and selecting the “Part of a compilation” checkbox.

  • Identify the individual artists on a tribute album in the Artist field, and type “various” in the Album Artist field.

  • Create your own genre category by clicking Info and typing the category in the Genre field.

  • Change the order in which tracks on a CD play by changing the numbers in the Track Number fields.

  • Create a Smart Playlist that includes only songs that are just the right speed for your workout by typing the number of beats per minute in the BPM field. For instructions, see Create a Smart Playlist.

  • Identify a movie as a music video (click the Options button, and choose Music Video from the Media Kind pop-up menu).

  • Identify an item that you imported from a CD as an audiobook, so it appears under Audiobooks instead of Music (click the Options button and choose Audiobook from the Media Kind pop-up menu). If you do this, iTunes also remembers your place in the audiobook.

  • Enter custom sorting criteria for an item. Select the item, choose File > Get Info, click Sorting, and enter the custom text.

iTunes retrieves CD information from the Gracenote media database. For more information, visit the Gracenote website.